A world-class guided missile destroyer, Hefei, has joined the Chinese fleet in the South China Sea on 12 December.
The destroyer's commissioning ceremony was held at the Sanya naval port in South China's Hainan province on Sunday morning, the PLA navy said in a statement, as reported by the en.people.cn website.
The 052D type Hefei is the most advanced destroyer China has ever had, according to Sputnik news.
Developed and independently built by China, the new warship is the third ship to be added to the fleet in South China Sea.
The other two warships include the Kumming and the Changsha, respectively. The 052D type guided missile destroyers are specialised in attacking surface targets and regional air defence, according to en.people.cn.
Zhao Yanquan, captain of Hefei said in an interview, "My men have familiarized themselves with the advanced equipment and weapons. In the near future, we will focus on training, aiming to make the ship fully operational within a short period," as stated in Sputnik news.
A complex environment setting will provide the opportunity for the three 052D warships to prove their effectiveness, the website said
"The environment will allow their problems and shortcomings to be exposed and corrected as soon as possible," said Du Wenlong, a researcher from the PLA academy of military sciences.
Reportedly, the Hefei is equipped with cutting-edge technology, high information level, low radar signal and state-of-the-art array radar.
The 052D missile destroyers are capable of integrating air, anti-missile, anti-ship defences. So, that makes it the most suitable warship to join the China fleet, reported en.people.cn.
China is currently developing the Type 055 destroyer. It will have full displacement of 10,000 tons and could carry more than 100 missiles, says Yin Zhou, director of the PLA navy's expert consultation committee, as reported by Sputnik news.
